1. Introduction
The present invention relates to materials handling equipment and robots and in particular to a mechanical gripping device, an artificial hand or a robot gripping device hereinafter referred to collectively as a robotic hand.
2. Field of the Invention
Essentially, when using mechanical handling equipment such as robots there is little difficulty when the object being gripped or held is always substantially the same size. When this is the case then the gripping device or hand can be fashioned specifically to grip the particular device or object. However, an entirely different problem arises when it is necessary to grasp irregularly-shaped objects about whose shape no prior information is available. Essentially then what one is trying to do is to have an electro-mechanical simulation of a human hand. This is undoubtedly a problem in that except when assembling or handling regular objects on an assembly line the world we live in does not consist of perfectly flat surfaces or absolutely regular objects. Thus, while it appears relatively simple, the action of the human hand in gripping support an object is an extremely complex one which is beyond the ability of most robot hands or gripping devices.
This problem is particularly acute in mechanical handling or assembly operations.